Tight watch on medical entrance test this year

Enforcement officers from the police and intelligence departments will keep a tab on candidates taking the Eamcet exam

Enforcement officers will keep a tight watch on the medical entrance exam this year as officials do not want to leave any scope for malpractice given the test receiving the highest number of applicants ever in its history.

EAMCET officials have sought the services of enforcement officers from the police and the intelligence departments for keeping a vigil on select centres and candidates. ‘Oldies’ and students applying with a fine of Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 will be under watch as officials suspect that most of them have malafide intentions in taking the test.

“We are not suspecting them but we will be cautious,” said EAMCET-2013 Convener N.V. Ramana Rao.

Though the exact number of such candidates is yet to be known as they can apply till May 7, officials say about 2 to 3 per cent of applicants fall in this category. Officials, however, have minimised the scope for malpractices by deciding to allot centres only in the twin cities to such candidates. Since the number of applicants for the medical stream has touched 1.05 lakh, officials do not want to take any risk. A meeting has also been arranged with officials of the intelligence and the police to discuss the final strategy.

Mandatory safeguards

Officials have also made it mandatory to mention the mother’s name so as to ensure that only genuine candidates take the test. It has been observed that candidates whose fathers’ names also match apply and get the same centre allotted due to alphabetical order allotment system. Most impersonation cases were noticed among such candidates.

“Apart from identifying them with their mothers’ names we are also taking thumb impressions,” Prof. Ramana Rao said.

“There will be one invigilator for every 20 candidates and one observer for every 500 to prevent malpractice,” he pointed out. Officials are wary of the past when students resorted to illegal means like using modern gadgets to help candidates in the exam hall apart from ‘leaking’ the paper.

Some ‘oldies’ were caught three years ago on similar charges in the State while another gang was busted in the PG medical exam in Chandigarh. Interestingly, in both the cases the accused belonged to the same gang.

Prof. Rao assured that “every effort will be made to see that genuine candidates don’t suffer.”

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